Grading kids differently?

[mrsrandolph]

I have 2 kids in Res 2 Ref. They are in 2 different places in the guide and are schooled separately. The older (my daughter) is highly intelligent and whizzing through it. My son (younger by a year) just began it. He has some mild learning issues and has had to have a lot of support in CTC. I don't start "grading" them until Res 2 Ref. My question is if I should hold them both to the same standard OR if I should grade them based upon what each is capable of. Thoughts?

[LynnH]

First I will say I didn't start grading until high school with the exception of math and even then I didn't give grades, I just used it to show him what he missed and then had him correct them. I think with kids with learning challenges you have to be very careful giving grades too early. It can really put a damper on their learning. Grades are given in ps to compare one kid to another. You don't need to do that in homeschool. You know his strengths and weaknesses already and I know you are helping him work towards growth in the area of his weaknesses. Once in high school you need to give grades due to sticking with the norm, but even then I know many people who work towards mastery and don't give any grade until they think mastery is achieved. I don't do that, but I do grade my high school ds who has challenges. For objective things he gets the grade that he gets, I don't alter anything. For subjective things I do try and do keep in mind what he is capable of, but I also keep in mind what I think a typical student would be able to do on the assignment. I don't hesitate to mark him down some points if in a short essay question he doesn't give as much detail as I think is needed or if he isn't as careful with his proof reading as I want him to be. When I "grade" things like written narrations it is only based on how well he followed the instructions and if he got everything on the written narration checklist. I try very hard not to grade content because what he picks out is different than what I would pick out.

[mrsrandolph]

I start grading in Middle School to get them (and me) used to it.